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Nursing homeFAID #4489

Buchanan County Health Center

1600 FIRST STREET EAST, INDEPENDENCE, IA, 50644
(319) 334-6071
39 licensed beds
★★★★★5/5CMS Five-Star overall4/5 health inspections5/5 staffing4/5 quality measuresSource: CMS Care Compare

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Address

1600 First Street East
Independence, IA 50644
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Public record summary

What we can show you for free.
Bed capacity
39
CMS facility ID
16E050
Care type
Nursing home
County
Buchanan
Facility name
Buchanan County Health Center
Street address
1600 FIRST STREET EAST
City / state / ZIP
Independence, IA 50644
Phone
(319) 334-6071

About this facility — Buchanan County Health Center

Buchanan County Health Center is a Medicare/Medicaid-certified skilled nursing facility in Independence, Iowa. It is licensed for 39 beds — below the median for skilled nursing facilities in Iowa (57 beds).

It is one of 4 senior care facilities in Independence and 389 skilled nursing facilities across Iowa. Families comparing options should weigh inspection history, ownership record, and litigation — not just the tour — before deciding.

Federal inspectors have cited Buchanan County Health Center 17 times across 7 inspections in the last three years, including 3 food-safety citations, and CMS has imposed $4,011 in fines. Every citation is listed, dated, and graded in the inspection record below.

This listing draws on federal CMS Nursing Home Compare records, and was last updated on August 31, 2026. Background reports are compiled from primary sources — state inspection files, federal CMS data, corporate registrations, and court records — at the time of order.

Facility background

What the public record shows.

Ownership & operator

Ownership type
Government - County

Regulatory standing

Licensed / certified since
1974-10-01
CMS overall rating
5 of 5 stars
Health deficiencies
1 at the last standard inspection
Federal fines
$4,011 total
Last standard inspection
2026-03-19
Nurse staffing
4.2 hours per resident per day

Services & coverage

Licensed beds
39
Medicare
Accepted
Medicaid
Accepted
Compiled from CMS Nursing Home Compare · last verified 2026-08-31. Facilities can submit a correction.

Inspection record

Every citation, dated and graded.

Kitchen & food safety

Federal surveyors inspect the kitchen at every standard visit. This facility has 3 food-safety citations on its three-year record — flagged below among the inspections.
2026-03-19Health inspection1 citation
F-0880
E · No harm found
Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
Corrected 2026-03-20
2025-03-20Health inspection4 citations
F-0637
B · No harm found
Assess the resident when there is a significant change in condition
Corrected 2025-03-31
F-0657
B · No harm found
Develop the complete care plan within 7 days of the comprehensive assessment; and prepared, reviewed, and revised by a team of health professionals.
Corrected 2025-03-31
F-0658
D · No harm found
Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality.
Corrected 2025-03-31
F-0812
F · No harm foundFood safety
Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
Corrected 2025-03-31
4 earlier / fire-safety inspections (12 citations)
2024-11-26Health inspectionComplaint-triggered2 citations
F-0689
J · Immediate jeopardyFrom a complaint
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
Corrected 2024-10-31
F-0741
D · No harm foundFrom a complaint
Ensure that the facility has sufficient staff members who possess the competencies and skills to meet the behavioral health needs of residents.
Corrected 2024-12-27
2024-06-06Health inspection5 citations
F-0637
D · No harm found
Assess the resident when there is a significant change in condition
Corrected 2024-07-05
F-0656
D · No harm found
Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured.
Corrected 2024-07-05
F-0688
D · No harm found
Provide appropriate care for a resident to maintain and/or improve range of motion (ROM), limited ROM and/or mobility, unless a decline is for a medical reason.
Corrected 2024-07-05
F-0801
F · No harm foundFood safety
Employ sufficient staff with the appropriate competencies and skills sets to carry out the functions of the food and nutrition service, including a qualified dietician.
Corrected 2024-07-05
F-0812
F · No harm foundFood safety
Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
Corrected 2024-07-05
2026-03-19Fire-safety inspection3 citations
K-0133
F · No harm found
Install a two-hour-resistant firewall separation.
Corrected 2026-03-18
K-0918
F · No harm found
Have generator or other power source capable of supplying service within 10 seconds.
Corrected 2026-03-25
K-0921
F · No harm found
Ensure that testing and maintenance of electrical equipment is performed.
Corrected 2026-03-26
2025-03-20Fire-safety inspection2 citations
K-0291
F · No harm found
Install emergency lighting that can last at least 1 1/2 hours.
Corrected 2025-03-31
K-0712
F · No harm found
Have simulated fire drills held at unexpected times.
Corrected 2025-03-31

Federal penalties

2024-11-26Fine$4,011
Citations and penalties from the CMS Provider Data Catalog (three-year survey window, refreshed monthly). Severity codes follow the federal scope/severity grid; “Immediate jeopardy” is the most serious grade CMS issues. CCN 16E050.

Inside your report

What unlocks when you order.

Ownership & corporate history

Primary tier
Prior operators & transfers
Corporate network & affiliates
,
Owners' other facilities
· · 2 more

Inspection citations — last 5 years

Locked
The 17 citations above are shown free. The report takes each one and explains it in plain English — what the tag requires, how serious the scope/severity grade really is, whether it recurred across surveys — plus the five-year pattern a single inspection can't show.

Civil & criminal lawsuits

Advanced tier only
Active civil suits
#
Federal dockets
CDC infection data
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Citations, owner history, lawsuits — decoded into one PDF.
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Original records

Sources we pull for this facility.
Source
CMS Nursing Home Compare
data.cms.gov Provider Data Catalog
Last verified 2026-08-31
Source
Secretary of State filings
Entity & officer search
Pulled when a report is ordered
Source
PACER federal dockets
pacer.uscourts.gov
Pulled when a report is ordered